1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to dental hygiene educational tools and, more particularly, to a device for stimulating a child's interest in dental hygiene while at the same time serving as a holder for storing dental hygiene equipment such as toothbrushes, mouth mirrors and dental floss.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dental hygiene educational tools can be grouped into two major categories. The first category includes professional teaching tools such as demonstrator models which are used for teaching dental students and technicians how to make dentures, or to demonstrate proposed tooth repairs to adult patients. Representative samples of this first category of dental hygiene educational tools can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,711,947 to Ingwersen, U.S. Pat. No. 1,916,376 to Kohler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,333,795 to Kellerman et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,805 to Smolka. The demonstration kit of Kellerman et al also provides a secondary function as a storage device since a number of pockets and a receptacle are provided for receiving articles such as inlays and amalgams. However, the structural complexity of the device of Kellerman et al, as well as of the other demonstrator models in the patent referred to above, makes them unsuitable for use by children or for other domestic applications.
The second category of dental hygiene educational tools includes toys and the like which are specifically directed at children. Representative devices from this second category are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,487 to Stone, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,181 to Fabricant. The patent to Stone is directed to a toothbrush holder provided with a caricatured representation of the face of an animal or other figure and including a representation of the teeth of the figure. The figure is also provided with a movable hand holding a simulated toothbrush. A mechanical mechanism is included within the device for reciprocating the movable hand and simulated toothbrush, causing the figure to "brush" its teeth for a predetermined length of time. The object of the device is to encourage a child to brush his or her teeth by mimicking the movements of the caricatured figure, and also to serve as a timer for indicating how long the child should continue to brush. One drawback of the device is that the mechanical mechanism for reciprocating the simulated toothbrush is somewhat complex, making the device costly and subject to breakdown. Another drawback is that because the figure is intended to be a caricature, the device has no instructural value as far as teaching children about the real structure or anatomy of their teeth and mouth. Still another drawback is that the device includes only a single hook for supporting a toothbrush. No means are provided holding additional toothbrushes or other dental hygiene equipment such as a mouth mirror or dental floss.
The patent to Fabricant discloses a dental toy including two simulated jaws hinged to each other for movement between open and closed positions. Each jaw carries a plurality of pockets for accommodating the roots of simulated teeth, which a child can make from a soft moldable material such as clay. Simulated dental tools such as a drill, a dental mirror and tooth-holding tongs can also be included with the top to allow the child to play dentist by pretending to drill, fill cavities, pull teeth and perform other such dental activities. This toy is relatively complex and expensive to manufacture and includes a large number of loose parts which can easily get lost. In addition, it does not include means for storing dental hygiene equipment such as toothbrushes and dental floss.
Accordingly, a demand exists for a new and useful dental hygiene teaching tool and storage device which overcomes some of the shortcomings of the prior art.